8 behaviors most Americans find morally unacceptable: list

By Leonardo Blair, Senior Reporter Saturday, June 20, 2026

While most Americans still find behaviors such as using birth control, gambling and having a baby out of wedlock morally acceptable, their views on the acceptability of these behaviors have fallen significantly in the last year, data from a new Gallup survey show.

The findings come from the analytics and advice firm’s annual Values and Beliefs survey conducted May 1-17 with a random sample of 1,001 U.S. adults.

Since 2001, Gallup has tracked the moral acceptability of 20 behaviors, and gambling (57%), having a baby out of wedlock (58%), and using birth control (83%), are among five behaviors the survey shows have each declined between 6% and 9% over the last year.

For the survey, respondents were asked, “Regardless of whether or not you think it should be legal, for each one, please tell me whether you personally believe that in general it is morally acceptable or morally wrong.”

While most Americans have become more accepting of most of the behaviors measured by Gallup, the majority find the following behaviors the most morally unacceptable.